From Gran Tierra Suites, go to the North Bus Terminal in Cebu city near SM mall. In our case, we just took a taxi. It took around 15-20 minutes.

From the North Bus Terminal, we took a Ceres bus going to Hagnaya port. Travel time is 2.5 to 3 hours.

From Hagnaya port, we rode a ferry going to Sta. Fe, Bantayan Island. Travel time is 30-45 minutes.

From Bantayan Island, we were supposed to be picked up by the resort driver but while we were on the ferry, they informed me that they can’t pick us up and instead asked us to take a tricycle and they will pay for the ride.

All in all, the travel time from Gran Tierra Suites to Kota Beach was around 4 hours. Kinda long but we were asleep most of the time as we left the hotel at 4:45AM. We just bought some snacks that we could munch on while traveling. So imagine how hungry we were when we arrived at Kota Beach Resort. Our first meal cost us Php420! Haha!

sunset at Kota beach, Bantayan

Kota beach, Bantayan

Kota beach, Bantayan

Kota beach, Bantayan

Kota Beach bumming

We chilled/beach bummed at Kota Beach for 2 nights! We didn’t have to go island hopping, kayaking, etc. coz just staring at the long stretch of white sand with the sun rising or setting was more than enough to keep us where we were.

We also didn’t bother to go looking for another place to eat coz the resort’s resto serve good food at reasonable price. 🙂 If you’re looking for late night partying, this isn’t the place for that – that’s why I liked it here. Peace and quiet for 2 days. ^_^

The rooms/cottages were spacious enough and were air-conditioned. They don’t have a hot shower though (at least for the room that we booked) but there are certain rooms with hot shower in the resort. Apart from the amenities, the rooms are priced based on how near they are to the beach but don’t worry, it wouldn’t matter that much coz somehow you are still near the beach even if you get the room at the 4th row.

We left early on our last day to catch the earliest ferry going to Hagnaya port. Our flight was at 5:55PM so we had a lot of time to go around SM Cebu.

I could have just included this in my other Day2 whaleshark watching post but this place is really beautiful that it deserves a solo post.

After whaleshark watching, we took a trike (thanks to the couple we met during the whaleshark watching, they offered to give us a free ride with their rented trike) going to the pick up point going to Sumilon Island (Bancogon). It’s a just 10-15 minutes away from the whaleshark watching site (Oslob).

We were given welcome drinks and informed us that the next boat to Sumilon Island will be coming shortly. The waiting area has a nice view of Sumilon island from afar. We waited for less 1 hour then the boat arrived. Before we rode the boat, we were given a short orientation of the island’s geography so we’ll know where to find what and what activities we could do in a particular area of Sumilon.

waiting area

port

boat schedule

Sumilon Island map

The Day Tour costs Php2000/person inclusive of lunch buffet, roundtrip boat ride to and from the island, and other activities. You don’t have to pay for anything else when you get to the island except for the locker (Php100) if you want to avail of it.

Here are some pictures of Sumilon Island that would take your breath away:

Sandbar and docking area

docking area

mode of transpo

Glamping Area

Activities

dessert

brazo de mercedes

chocolate cake

leche flan

buffet area

buffet area

hammocks

infinity pool

infinity pool

parola

view of the island

The Php2000 was really worth the day tour in this island! It’s like the Pearl Farm of Cebu!

We took the 3:30PM ferry schedule from Sumilon to Bancogon. We didn’t want to stay too late as our bus from Bancogon to Cebu city (Gran Tierra Suites) will take around 4 hours. Good thing that buses pass by Bancogon but we stood up (and eventually sat on the floor) for the whole trip as it was already full. We should’ve thought of riding at the bus terminal (which may be just near Bancogon as well) instead of waiting for the passing buses.

We had dinner at Larsian’s. It’s our last night in the city then we’re off to Bnatayn Island early the next morning.

I’ve researched thoroughly before we had this trip and I knew that if we wanted to see the whalesharks early, we had to get up early. This is also the reason why I chose Gran Tierra Suites. It is near the South Bus terminal where we would ride a bus going to Oslob. They operate as early as 3AM. Make sure you ride the Ceres bus line. They are very efficient and on-time. Here’s their cebu bus sched.

How to go to Oslob from Cebu city
1. Ride the Ceres bus line at the South bus terminal. Travel time is at 3-4 hours. There are some stops made for comfort room breaks.
2. You won’t miss the drop off area as there are signs at the road and the bus conductor would also call out those who are getting off at Oslob.
3. From there, you’ll spot a registration area where you pay for which activities you want to avail of. Php500 if you want to get off the boat and swim with the whalesharks, Php300 if you will stay in the boat and just watch the whalesharks. They also have go pro cameras for rent for Php550. If you avail of it, the boatmen will take your picture underwater. If not, you’ll have to take the picture yourself.

TIP: Go on a weekday. There are several people during weekdays. We had ours on a weekday and the place was really crowded but it was really organized and systematic.
We were 110th on the line when we arrived. We waited for around an hour before we got our turn. The whaleshark watching takes around 30 minutes.

mandatory orientation

boats from afar

close encounter

boats for whaleshark watching

whaleshark

that’s how close they can be

Itinerary and Expenses:

3am – 3:15am taxi from Gran Tierra to South Bus Terminal Php100

3:55am bus left for Oslob Php165/person

7am arrived at Oslob

8:30 standby for our turn to view the whalesharks Php300/person

Php500/person

9:00 done and ready for Sumilon Island

Total: Php680 – if you will view from the boat (includes another Php165 for the bus ride back to Cebu city)

Php880 – if you will swim with the whaleshark (inlcudes another Php165 for the bus ride back to Cebu City)

Another great way to end the year is to go see a new place. For me, that new place is Cebu. I’ve been to Cebu but only in Mactan. This time, I got to see Cebu city, Oslob, and Bantayan. It was only then that I realized how big Cebu is and that what felt like a long 5-day trip would seem to be short if I want to see all of the scenic spots. From having 4 areas of interest (Oslob, Bantayan, Moalboal, and Malapascua), I cut it down to two – Oslob and Bantayan.

I chose Gran Tierra Suites because it is near the South bus terminal, where we will be riding a bus on our way to Oslob. Also, it is near the Fuente Circle and the famous Larsian’s where most blog posts I’ve read had recommended. It is 30 – 35 minutes away from the airport, depending on the traffic.

Our flight to Cebu was too early so we were also too early to check-in the hotel as their check-in time was at 2PM but they were kind enough to let us check-in as soon as a room was vacant. They served us complimentary snacks from their pastry store that tasted really good! They also have a water dispenser located outside the hall of the rooms for their guests. I’d say Gran Tierra Suites has good service and great value for your money.

Double room Php989/night

delicious snacks

After resting, we had our (late)lunch/dinner at Larsian’s. You can go there by foot from Gran Tierra Suites. In fact, you can explore the area around the Fuente Circle by foot. Dining at Larsian’s was an exciting experience. It’s a grill place where you go around and order what you want to be cooked and they will cook it for you. However, there’s no “cup of rice” instead “puso” rice are being served and no utensils but plastic gloves are provided.

grilling area

dining area

“puso” rice Php4 each

unwrapped “puso” rice

white marlin Php120

BBQ Php4 each

We were served 15pcs of rice. We thought we had to finish them all as they are part of what we are going to pay for. It was on our dinner the following day that we realized that you only consume and pay for the rice that you can finish. >_< We also ordered tinolang halaan (clam).

Just writing about it makes me miss the place. You just have to be smart in your order to make the most of your budget. 🙂 And come in early as the place tends to be packed with people on peak dining hours. We came in around 5:30PM and the place was ours before people started coming in.

If you’re the adventurous type on anything spicy, try Buffalo’s Wings and Things’ different levels of spiciness for their chicken wings or chicken tenders.

If you’re able to finish their Wingsanity (level of spiciness), you’re picture will be put in their Wall of Fame. We tried the Kpop level of spiciness and it was just the right kind of spiciness. A little more spicy and I don’t think I could eat it anymore.

I had the Garlic Parmesan flavor for chicken tenders which basically had no spiciness but tasted great! 🙂 There’s also Honey BBQ flavor for people who aren’t into spicy food.

It was fun trying out something different with the usual chicken wings.

This is a must-try for burger lovers. I’m not exactly a fan of burgers but Mama Chit’s burger is a refreshing alternative for the usual fast food burgers. Below is a picture of their cheeseburger (Php100).

The place also has a vintage vibe with all their decorations that give a blast from the past feel. However, depending on the time of the day, I’m assuming that the place gets full as they can cater to more or less 50 people for dine-in and they’re not air-conditioned.

I love that they serve rootbeer float (Php85) and mojos (Php80) 🙂

Here’a a snapshot of their menu.

I’d go back to try out their pasta and salad.

Location: 278 J. P. Rizal St, Marikina

I stumbled upon this Baubax travel jacket vid circulating in Facebook and now I’m drooling over it! I hope Baubax really gets this good out in the market. I’ll save myself the trouble of describing why it’s the ultimate travel jacket. Just watch the video here: Baubax travel jacket.

Here’s a pic I got from google:

Baubax travel jacket

The Baubax travel jacket has 15 features and is available in sweatshirt, blazer, windbreaker, and bomber designs.